Five Times Lin Saw Aang, and One Time She Didn't
by Cassandra147
Summary: "My father and Lin got along famously."
1. Sora

_Author's Note: Thank quentyl for an inspiration post about Lin and Aang. This idea had been lingering in my head, but that post pushed me to write and publish it. _

* * *

><p>Tiredness strapped lead weights to her ankles as Lin trudged towards the family quarters. Pale predawn lent enough light to guide her, yet kept the world in shades of shadow.<p>

"Sora?"

Elbows on her knees, Sora sat on the steps. Fluffy slippers clad her feet; a yellow dressing gown shielded her from the morning's dewy chill.

"What are you doing out here?" Lin asked, halting and crouching.

"Waiting," replied Sora. She questioned softly, "Was it a bad night?"

"Not as bad as it could have been but bad enough." Lin eased herself to a seat beside her daughter.

"I'm sorry."

Lin stroked Sora's hair. "Nothing to do with you. Does your father know you're out here?"

Sora nodded. "He's starting breakfast."

"Good. I could use it." Lin sighed and stared straight ahead. In the distance, gold crept over the mountains, spilling across the sky and the city. One-armed, she drew Sora against her side. "Smart man, your father."

She glanced at Sora. "Don't tell him I said that."

"I won't," Sora promised with a smile.

Both returned to watching the sunrise.

After a while, Sora said quietly, "I think I like sunrises better than sunsets."

"Hm?"

"They're both pretty but sunsets are the ends of something; sunrises are the beginnings."

_"__Wake up, Lin, it's time to get up."_

_Lin groaned and rolled over, tangling herself in the blankets. _

_"__It's still dark," she whined. _

_Aang grinned. "That's the point, kit. Come on. Up you get."_

_Scowling, Lin kicked and pushed the blankets away. Aang nudged her slippers nearer with his own be-slippered feet. _

_He directed, "Put these on and wrap up warm. I'm going to see how far along Tenzin's got." _

_"__Baldy Stupid Airhead," muttered Lin as she donned the slippers and her robe. Following Aang out, she emerged into the corridor as the two Airbenders did. To her disgust, Tenzin actually looked awake. _

_"__You're mad," she informed the pair with all the seriousness a six-year-old could possess. Tenzin opened his mouth to retort; Aang laughed. _

_"__You wouldn't be the first to think so," replied Aang before Tenzin could speak. He offered her a hand. "Come on. I promise it'll be worth it."_

_"__Better be." Yawning, Lin took the hand. Aang led them into the main part of the Temple and began climbing the stairs of the tower. _

_After two and a third flights, Lin grimaced. She'd been doggedly taking the stairs, despite having the shortest legs - short enough to make every stair a challenge. _

_Aang scooped her up. Lin wrapped her arms around his neck. To Tenzin, he said, "Use an air-ball if you get tired, all right?"_

_"__All right." He made it another flight before resorting to the trick. _

_"__Here we are," announced Aang as they reached the parapet. He lowered Lin to the floor. _

_"__I've seen this already. Can't I go back to bed?" _

_"__You haven't seen this!" Aang gestured at the sunrise. Sunlight streaked the sky, brilliant against the dark of the mountains beyond the city. Clouds edged in orange and yellow floated and reflected the light. _

_"__The sun rises every day," Lin said. "What's the big deal?"_

_"__Ah...see...here's the 'big deal', kit. The sun never rises the same way twice." Aang turned his face to the sun, gold suffusing him. "Never. It's always new. A new day, a chance to begin again."_

"Mom?"

Lin smiled. "You're right, sunrises are better."


	2. Rohan

Surveying the room, Lin thanked her own good sense she'd steered clear of these affairs when she was in her early teens.

Crepe-paper banners and streamers bedecked the school gymnasium. Cookies and a mixed punch of mysterious juices ladened a table along one wall. Clustered in groups, eighty-odd thirteen-year-olds stood around, girls with girls and boys with boys. They dared to peek at the other gender from time to time, turning back to whisper and shift their feet.

Across the room, Rohan huddled with a number of his friends. Lin saw no reason to inflict further embarrassment upon him by being close by, since having his mother - the Chief of Police - as a chaperone was bad enough.

Although, Lin mused, she was less noticeable than Tenzin would have been. Why her _dear_ husband had volunteered for this duty she didn't know but an emergency Council session had necessitated her taking his place.

The Headmaster climbed the stairs to the little stage in front. He announced, "Ladies, gentlemen, please give our musicians a warm welcome!"

As the children clapped, the six members of the hired band entered, bowed, and took their seats. They picked up their instruments and, with an eight count, launched into a sprightly tune.

The crowd rippled, splitting as the children retreated to the walls. Fidgeting skyrocketed. Here and there, a foot tapped or a skirt swished in time with the music. Furtive looks abounded, increasing in both frequency and length.

Yet the bands of space between the clusters continued unbreached.

"I don't miss being their age," remarked Lin's nearest neighbor.

"No."

Movement attracted her attention. A handful of intrepid souls crossed the great divide. They stammered and blushed, and secured partners who stammered and blushed as well. More followed, slowly filling the center of the floor.

A smile teased at Lin's lips; Rohan proved to be a rather popular partner. He danced with a succession of girls, all of whom seemed to enjoy themselves. Whenever he and his current partner inevitably misstepped, he'd shrug and laugh which would make his partner laugh and they'd keep on dancing.

The band taking a break, Rohan escorted his partner to the refreshment table. He poured them each a glass, said something to the girl, and then walked away.

He approached another boy, one standing alone at the edge of the floor. Robes starched stiff, hair combed flat, the boy alternated between staring at his polished shoes and glancing about the room with a defeated expression.

Even as she watched, a gossiping gaggle of girls in his vicinity pointed at him and giggled nastily, murmuring to one another. The boy flinched; his eyes now fixated solely on the ground.

He jumped when Rohan called his name, loud enough for Lin to hear. "Guotin!"

Stopping beside him, Rohan buffeted his shoulder. The pair talked for a minute, Guotin shaking his head, before Rohan seized his arm and tugged. Rohan gestured in direction of his own friends who were talking with several girls.

Obviously dubious, Guotin nodded and Rohan released his arm with a reassuring smile. Guotin trailing behind, Rohan headed for his friends.

Once there, Rohan again tugged at Guotin, bringing him properly into the circle when he otherwise would have lingered on the outside. A few minutes later, the music resuming, Rohan turned to a girl on his left.

Dancers blocked Lin's view. When they'd passed, Guotin was leading the girl onto the floor alongside Rohan and his partner.

_Applause fading, Aang offered Lin his arm with extravagated courtesy. She rolled her eyes, but accepted. _

_"__If I didn't know better, I'd say you like dancing Lin," he remarked as they left the floor. _

_"__Because I'd rather do something than listen to people prattle?" she scoffed. _

_"__Yes...of course that's it," replied Aang. _

_They reunited with Tenzin, who had been partnered with a fellow Councilman's wife. _

_"__Avatar," said a passerby, pausing and bobbing his head. _

_Aang smiled, nodded, and declared, "Nice to see you again." _

_Pleased, the man continued on his way. To Lin and Tenzin, Aang whispered, "I have no idea who that was."_

_"__Ladies and gentleman, our next dance will be the Prince's Court," proclaimed the Master of Ceremonies. _

_"__Lin?" asked Tenzin._

_"__What?"_

_"__One last dance and then we can leave?" Tenzin proposed. _

_"__Fine." _

_They joined the growing double line, men and women facing each other. The dance began, couples coming together for a moment before parting to weave in and out of the adjacent dancers. _

_Standing still for a minute, Lin saw a young woman on the perimeter of the dance floor. Her peach robes washed her out while emphasizing every blemish. Nor was the robes' cut flattering, belted around the thickest part of her waist. She lacked any adornments except for small pearl drops. Thick glasses obscured her eyes, and her pale brown hair had been pulled so tightly into a bun it had to hurt. Perched on the edge of a chair, she tapped one foot in time to the music. Her eyes constantly roved the room. _

_Abruptly, her eyes brightened and she smiled excitedly. A young man approached her - and he walked right in front of her as if she didn't exist. He offered his hand to another woman, one dressed much finer with a string of rubies around her throat and who simpered with the air of someone who wields beauty as a weapon. _

_The girl deflated. Her smile disappeared and her foot quit moving._

_Lin performed the next movement of the dance. When she paused again, her gaze returned to the girl. _

_Aang stood next to her. He said something, the girl seemed not to hear, and he tried again. _

_This time, the girl startled. Lin read her lips as she gasped, "Me?"_

_Aang nodded, his hand outstretched. Tentative in her disbelief, the girl accepted it and Aang pulled gently to assist her in rising. _

_He escorted her onto the floor, giving her a twirl as he guided her into a place in line. Other dancers shifted to accommodate them, and they began to dance. _

_As the dance progressed, the girl regained her smile. Towards the end, Lin could hear her laugh with Aang and respond gaily to his chatter. _

_When the dance finished, Lin and Tenzin prepared to leave. While Tenzin said his goodbyes, Lin kept a watch on Aang and his partner. The Avatar sought out a particular young man, not the same one who had snubbed the girl before, and introduced the two. _

_On the way out the door, Lin checked once more. The new couple glided across the dance floor, both smiling and blushing. Off to the side, Aang surveyed his accomplishment with a satisfied grin. _

"Chief Beifong?"

"What?"

Lin's companion fluttered her hand. She ventured, "You looked odd?"

"Hm." Lin elected to ignore this comment.

Then, the corners of her eyes crinkled and her mouth softened. On the floor, Goutin and his partner had started to dance rather than just swaying in place. Grinning broadly, Rohan was giving Goutin an enthusiastic thumbs-up.


	3. Akira

A green umbrella shaded her from the sun. A green carpet cushioned the blanket on which she reclined. One hand rested on the ground, and Lin listened to the hum of the earth.

Weight, about sixty-five pounds, plopped down and generated a ripple in the earth.

Lin opened her eyes.

"Tired of kites?" she asked Akira. In the heart of the meadow, her other children clutched spools of string leading to butterfly, dragon, and bird. Tenzin supervised, Akira's flying fish by his feet.

"Yes."

A rainbow filled Akira's lap, the skirt having been used as an impromptu basket for gathering spring flowers. Now, the seven-year-old sorted the blossoms, placing each color in a separate pile on the blanket.

Lin closed her eyes again.

A few minutes later, Akira asked, "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can you show me how to put these together?"

Lin reopened her eyes. Not only had the flowers been sorted, but Akira had selected two dozen in blues, purples, and whites, and arranged them into a rough circle.

"What are you trying to make?" Lin asked, sitting up.

"A crown, like the ones I saw in the pictures at school." Thinking a moment, Lin recalled that a recent lesson had involved Earth Kingdom traditions surrounding the spring equinox. In certain regions, a flower crown was customary to make and wear on that day.

"Are these the ones you want to use?" asked Lin with a nod to the arranged flowers.

"Yes," replied Akira. She reached for them, but Lin stopped her.

"Let's practice with ones you don't mind losing."

Akira considered the piles before choosing a handful and making another pile. She declared, "I can lose these."

"Good." Lin took two. Spreading her legs, she patted the blanket between them and suggested, "Come sit here."

When Akira had, Lin circled her arms around her daughter.

Narrating her actions, Lin said, "You put them like this, like an X, and you take one and wrap it around the other, and twist like this, tuck this there - hand me the next one please - and keep adding."

Lin demonstrated the technique twice more before saying, "Your turn."

After several flowers, ruining a couple, Akira shook off Lin's helping fingers and continued on her own. She used up all her practice flowers perfecting the method.

"I'm ready," she announced and leaned over to pick up a blue and a white flower.

Flower by flower, the chain lengthened. Akira twisted and threaded the blooms together, sprinkling white among the royal blue and amethyst.

"I think that's long enough," said Lin, when she estimated the chain capable of encircling Akira's head.

"Not yet."

Akira kept weaving.

"There," she said at last. "Can you tie it?"

"Sure." Lin wove the two ends together. She narrowed her eyes; the ring looked too big for Akira's or even Sora's head. It would slip past their ears.

"Who is this for anyways?"

"You, Mommy," answered Akira, in the tone of 'isn't-that-obvious'.

"For me?"

"Why?" In Lin's experience, the vast majority of people would not associate her with flower crowns.

"Because you're pretty, and the flowers are pretty."

_Lin halted on the verandah. She considered not going inside where Tenzin, Katara, and Aang waited for her to join them for dinner. _

_Her muscles screamed with tension; her temper simmered. It oozed and bubbled, on the verge of detonating. _

_She should have done straight home. She should have taken advantage of Tenzin being gone, at their weekly dinner with his parents, and raged alone in their apartment. She should have broken a few of their dishes, relishing the sound of something shattering. _

_She should have stayed at work. She should have bloodied her knuckles on the punching bag, welcoming the physical pain. _

_She started to turn - and something brushed her head. _

_Adrenaline surging, she gripped the thing and flung it from her, right off the verandah and into the dirt at the foot of the nearby steps. She spun, cables flying into her hands. _

_Wide-eyed, Aang held up his hands. _

_"__What the fuck are you doing?" Lin snapped. _

_"__Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he replied. _

_Guilt pitted her stomach. He looked like a kicked wombat-puppy. The cables retracted into their cases at her waist and Lin hugged herself. _

_Lashing out at Aang always made her feel very small and mean and wretched. _

_"__No, I'm sorry," Lin muttered, mood swinging from anger to despondency. _

_"__It's okay, Lin," he assured her. He patted her shoulder before descending the steps to retrieve the item she'd flung. He returned carrying the flower crown, a ring of gold and white blooms, now dirtied and misshapen. _

_Examining it, he declared, "Nothing that can't be fixed." He blew the dust from the crown and then tucked or rebraided the stems into place. _

_"__See? Good as new." He turned the crown in his hands as he asked, "Bad day?"_

_Lin gritted her teeth and looked past him. _

_Aang sighed. "That's what I thought."_

_"__I'm fine."_

_"__They still won't talk to you, will they?" he probed quietly. _

_"__No, but it's fine, I don't care -"_

_"__Yes, you do." _

_Her jaw twinged. Lin touched the reddened scars, two weeks old. _

_"__Tenzin mentioned that Toph's interfering with your work," Aang remarked, keeping his voice soft. _

_"__Tenzin shouldn't have -"_

_"__He's angry, Lin," Aang interrupted, "and worried. So am I. Is it true?"_

_"__Yes," Lin hissed. "I've had to cover every shift needing a replacement this week. And, during my normal shifts, I get crossing-guard duty and every other stupid job normally reserved for the rookies. My Captain can't do anything because the orders are coming from -"_

_Lin bit her cheek. She turned from Aang to hide her face. _

_"__I'm sorry."_

_"__I was doing my job! Did she really think I would - did they - I would just LET Su get away with it and LET Mother cover it up?"_

_"__I don't know, kit."_

_Lin rubbed her forehead. "I should go home."_

_"__Why?"_

_"__Isn't it obvious?"_

_"__So you're upset. I think we can deal with that," Aang insisted. "It's only temporary, not who you really are."_

_"__And what's that? Because whenever I look into the mirror, all I can see is this damned scar."_

_Aang lifted the crown and settled on her head. Contrasted with her dark hair, the flowers glowed in the setting sun. _

_"__Beautiful, Lin. From the inside out." _

"Mommy?"

"What is it?"

"Can I put in on you?"

"Of course." Lin bowed her head. When Akira had placed the crown, Lin asked, "How does it look?"

"Very pretty," pronounced Akira, adjusting the crown until she was satisfied with how it set. She announced, "Sora's next."

A wicked idea struck Lin. "After Sora, make one for your father, okay?"

Akira appeared doubtful. "He'll wear it?"

"For you?" Lin smirked. "I think you can talk him into it."

"Yes I think I can too," declared Akira with her own smirk.


	4. Tam

For a week, Tam requested an extra sandwich in her lunch. She also asked for it to contain only meat and cheese, no matter what comprised the primary sandwich.

Her parents attributed it to one of those weird notions children sometimes had concerning food. Rohan had once refused to eat anything orange for three weeks. Akira had spent almost two months insisting different foods not touch on her plate.

They provided her with the sandwich, and didn't pursue the issue.

On the following Monday, a cold kept Rohan and Sora at home. Since the twins habitually traveled to and from school via Sora's bison, this resulted in Lin and Tenzin stepping in as replacement. Tenzin took the twins to school; Lin agreed to pick them up.

A few minutes after the bell rang, Lin arrived in the front courtyard. Akira waved, leaving her cluster of friends to bounce over to Lin.

"Hello, Akira. Where's Tam?"

"In the back field, she said to come and get her."

Lin sighed. "We'd better hurry. I need to get back to work."

She followed Akira around the main building. The school had purchased a swathe of land, and had chosen to leave a broad field and a little copse of trees intact at the rear of the school. In warm weather, such as today, the children often spent their gym period there.

Akira guided Lin towards the trees. On the outskirts, Akira pressed a finger to her lips.

They entered the trees, careful to tread light and not talk, and came upon Tam. The younger twin sat lotus-style before a fallen, hollow log. A scrawny animal curled in her lap.

"There, see, there's a good girl," Tam was murmuring. She ghosted pets over the trembling dog whose ribs showed. "Such a good girl, yes, you're a good girl, it's okay, I won't hurt you, it's going to be okay."

A leaf crunched under Lin's foot.

The dog lurched to its feet, scrambling from Tam's lap. It froze, staring at Akira and Lin, before bolting into the log.

"You scared her," Tam accused her mother and sister, yet kept her tone placid.

"Tam -" Lin kneaded her forehead. "You could have been bitted. It could be feral or diseased or -"

"It's not an 'it,'" declared Tam, still maintaining a calm voice. "It's a she."

Lin raised her eyes skyward. "Spirits help me. Is it - she - what - who - your extra sandwich was for?"

"Yes."

"You've been letting her in your lap, petting, and feeding her?"

"No, she won't let me touch her until Wednesday and only started sitting in my lap Friday," recounted Tam. "At first, I had to put the sandwich halfway between us and sit very still or she wouldn't come out. She's gotten used to me now. She's got scars, I think somebody owned her before and hurt her."

_Lin finished the interrogation. She flipped her notebook closed. To her suspect, she directed, "Wait here. An officer will take you to the holding cell."_

_As she exited the room, a fellow detective straightened from leaning against the wall. "Beifong, Avatar Aang is here. He said you had lunch plans?"_

_"__We do." Lin glanced around the squad room. "Where is he?"_

_Chakor rubbed the back of his neck. "In the breakroom. With my witness."_

_Lin gestured for him to explain. _

_"__See, there's this kid, I found him in the opium runners' den. Scrawny bit of a boy. I think he can tell us a lot, but the second I let him go he bolted and ended up cowering in a corner of the breakroom. Seemed terrified of me, or anyone else, so I was giving him a minute to calm down. Right then, the Avatar showed up and offered to try so I figured why not?" Chakor shrugged. "That was fifteen minutes ago. Peeked in and they're just sitting there, the boy in the corner and the Avatar towards the middle."_

_"__Got it." Chakor returned to his desk; Lin crossed to the breakroom._

_"__Aang?" she asked, deliberately not blocking the doorway and using her friendliest tone. _

_"__Hello, Lin. I was just making a new friend," Aang replied. He indicated the boy. "This is Haksh. Haksh, this is my niece Lin Beifong."_

_He smiled at the boy. "She looks and talks scary, but she's really very nice."_

_"__There goes my reputation," Lin quipped. She nodded at Haksh. "Hello, Haksh."_

_"__Hello," whispered the boy, arms wrapped about his knees in their tattered breeches. _

_"__Lin, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind finding us some lunch? Please?"_

_Haksh's stomach gurgled. With a grin, Aang continued, "My friend and I are hungry."_

_"__I'll see what I can do."_

_Lin returned with skewers wrapped in newspaper. Her own mouth watered, and Haksh crept several inches out from his corner when the aroma reached his nose. She handed Aang both his vegetarian ones and Haksh's meat with vegetable ones. She left them to eat. _

_An hour later, her skewers picked clean and in the trash, Lin was scribbling on a report when Aang and Haksh emerged from the breakroom. Haksh gripped the Avatar's hand. Sauce stained the corner of his mouth. _

_Chakor approached them, Aang and he talked, and then Aang and Haksh headed for her desk. _

_"__I asked Chakor if you could do the interview," Aang informed Lin. "He said yes. I think Haksh might be more at ease talking to you." _

_His expression pled with her to agree. Lin answered, "That's fine."_

_She pointed to the extra chair by her desk. "Why don't you have a seat, Haksh?"_

_The boy sat, still wary. _

_"__You're in the best of hands," Aang told him. "Just tell Lin what you told me."_

_"__Can't you stay?" Haksh beseeched Aang, not releasing Aang's hand. "Please?"_

_"__Well, I don't think I'm allowed," said Aang._

_"__Children are allowed to have a parent or guardian and since Haksh doesn't -" Lin paused. Haksh shook his head. She continued, "I don't see why you can't act as his guardian, Aang, for this purpose."_

_"__Or maybe I am," Aang said. "I'll stay. Just let me grab another chair."_

_Haksh freed Aang's hand, Aang retrieved a chair, and Lin turned to a blank page in her notebook. _

_"__Let's start at the beginning," she suggested, "with your name and how old are you?"_

_With a fortifying look at Aang, Haksh began to speak. _

"I want to take her home," Tam declared, standing up. "She can live with us."

"Tam, that isn't possible. She'll scare your cats and the lemurs," Lin said firmly.

"But Mom -"

"No buts. She can't live with us, not permanently." Lin touched Tam's arm. "However, I would be willing to let her stay with us until we can find her a permanent home. Would that satisfy you?"

Tam mulled it over. "Yes."

"We'll buy a leash on the way home. Tomorrow, you can try to put it on her, we take her to a vet for a checkup, and if she's not carrying anything dangerous, we'll bring her home. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, we've got to get going." Lin ushered the twins from the wood. "I do have to return to work after dropping you at home."

The next morning, Pusan ended his report to the Chief. A member of the Metalbending Task Force, Pusan had participated in the arrest of three Triad mid-level bosses the previous Saturday.

"Do you have questions, Chief?" he asked.

"No, everything is in order. Thank you, Lieutenant."

Taking that as a dismissal, Pusan turned to leave.

"Pusan, wait a moment," Lin stopped him. She came out from behind her desk. Dropping the formality from her tone, she said, "There's one other thing."

"Yes, sir?"

Lin took a breath. She asked, "How are you?"

"How am I? I'm fine," replied Pusan.

"Saikhan mentioned you've been signing up for every overtime shift you can, volunteering to take a shift of anyone who's out sick or on vacation."

"Yes, well, I…" His voice broke. "It's not as if I have someone waiting at home."

He looked down to hide the tears Lin knew had sprung to his eyes.

She'd liked Farida, his wife and a music teacher. They'd had a pleasant conversation about the merits of Sicong versus Ohzawa sonatas at last year's picnic.

Memory nagged at her. There had been something else, something in that conversation she needed to remember.

_"__We're still unpacking and decorating, but once we're a bit more settled, we want to get a pet. Neither of us were allowed one as a child and now we can."_

Farida had fallen sick so soon after and had been diagnosed as terminal and all their plans must have crumbled.

Lin made a decision.

"Pusan, I want you to report here at two-thirty," she ordered. "I have a job for you."

"Yes, sir. May I be excused?"

Lin nodded and he hurried from the office.

That afternoon, Tam coaxed her stray into Pusan's lap. Tearing a sausage roll into pieces, he feed the dog slowly so as not to upset her stomach.

When they ceased being aware of Lin and her twins, Lin beckoned for Tam to come away.

"That was a good idea, Mom," Tam said as she joined Lin and Akira. "He'll take good care of her."

"He will," Lin said. She crouched, laying a hand on each of Tam's shoulders. "You did the hard work. Being patient and teaching her to trust again. I'm very proud of you."

"I am too," chimed in Akira, springing to hug her sister.

Tam tolerated the hug for a second before she wriggled. Akira let go. "I get it. Can we go home now?"

"Sure, kit. Let's go home."


	5. Tenzin and Korra

"You're getting there, Akira," Lin said to her daughter as the pair returned from the practice grounds to the family quarters. The temple emanated light, the sunset having compelled Lin and Akira to cease practicing.

"Thanks, Mom," replied Akira. She scowled at the hunk of cast iron in her hands. "But I still can't bend it without touching it."

"Plenty of grown metalbenders can't do that either," Lin reminded her.

"I know."

A familiar figure in the courtyard caught Lin's attention. "What's Inmek doing talking to Korra?"

"Huh?"

"Go on inside, please," Lin directed, giving Akira a slight push. Akira complied and entered the building. Lin altered her course towards Korra and the Council page.

Korra's raised voice and hands-on-hips told Lin whatever Inmek was saying displeased the young Avatar.

" - I'm not joining his task force!" shouted Korra. She stomped the ground, and circled her foot which turned the page about. Lin frowned, quickening her stride.

Korra kicked Inmek.

_"__It's good to be home again," Aang said, stretching out his legs. He wrapped an arm about Katara. _

_"__I'm glad you're home, too," said Katara and kissed his cheek before snuggling in at his side. "A month is too long."_

_Seated with Tenzin on the other sofa, warmth spread through Lin, a warmth unrelated to the cup of rich drinking chocolate she sipped. _

_Tenzin asked, "The treaty will hold?"_

_"__I think so," replied Aang. "Truth be told, I was almost ready to try your mother's brand of diplomacy, Lin."_

_"__You mean chuck rocks and yell until they band together out of fear? Agree just to get you to leave? That brand of diplomacy?"_

_"__That'd be it."_

_Savoring their chocolate, the quartet fell into a congenial quiet. Seated sideways on the sofa, Lin wormed her toes underneath Tenzin's thigh. _

_"__Lin," he hissed. _

_"__My feet are cold," she whispered. _

_"__Then wear shoes - or at least socks," he replied, but didn't shove her feet away. _

_Katara and Aang muffled giggles. Tenzin flushed; Lin blithely ignored his parents' reaction. _

_Knock! Someone called through the door, "Avatar Aang?"_

_In a flash, Lin straightened into a normal sitting position. Katara scooted until a couple of inches separated her and Aang. _

_"__Come in," Aang called. _

_A teenager in a green jacket studded with buttons and grey breeches - the uniform of a telegram messenger - entered the room. He held a folded paper in his hands. _

_"__Urgent message for you, Avatar, sir, from Nantou." _

_"__You must be joking - " Aang sprang up and grabbed the telegram. He tore it open. Wind whipped into life. "Flaming balls of dung, what are they -"_

_Aang glimpsed the rather frightened face of the messenger. The wind calmed. _

_"__I'm sorry," Aang said with a reassuring smile. "Thank you for delivering this, what's your name?"_

_"__Saju, sir."_

_"__Thank you, Saju. Would you like some chocolate before you go?"_

_"__Ah...no thank you, sir."_

_"__Sure?"_

_"__Yes, sir. I had best be on my way." The messenger bobbed his head. "Goodnight, sir."_

_"__Goodnight." The messenger departed. _

_Katara rose, went to lay a hand on Aang's shoulder, and asked, "You have to go back, don't you?"_

_"__The treaty's been broken. They've started fighting again," pronounced Aang. "I'll need to leave immediately. I'm sorry, sweetheart."_

"Korra!" exclaimed Lin. She jogged the last few steps and planted herself between Korra and Inmek. "What the hell are you doing?"

Korra jerked backwards, as if to get away from Lin. She stammered, "I - er - I - "

Slashing her hand, Lin cut Korra off. Turning, she addressed Inmek, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Chief, really," replied Inmek.

"Good." Lin threw a glare over her shoulder at Korra. "You owe Inmek something."

"Who?" asked Korra.

"You don't - for fuck's sake - Inmek is the person you assaulted for no reason!"

"I didn't know his name," muttered Korra, sulky and barely audible. She tacked on, "Sorry."

"That's quite alright, Avatar, quite alright," babbled Inmek with a bobbed bow.

"Inmek," Lin said firmly, "You needn't do that. Nor do you need to be running around, acting as Tarrlok's messenger boy."

"I'm happy to do -"

"You're the _Council's_ page, not Tarrlok's personal slave. Just because he can't keep a secretary or is too lazy to do things himself, doesn't give him the right to make you do it," said Lin. "If you refuse, and he gives you trouble, talk to my husband - or Hanae if you'd be more comfortable talking to her."

Inmek inclined his head, the gesture conveying ten times the respect his bow to Korra had. "I'll remember. Thank you for your concern."

He cleared his throat. "I do need to give this to Avatar Korra." From his vest pocket, he drew out an envelope and proffered it. Lin noticed the heavy cream parchment and velvety blue ink.

Hesitantly, Korra inched forward until she could reach past Lin and take the letter.

"What is it?" asked Lin of Inmek.

"An invitation, to a gala in the Avatar's honor. Councilman Tarrlok humbly requests her presence." Inmek fidgeted and, looking at Lin, added, "Councilman Tenzin's and yours will be delivered tomorrow."

"Right," Lin drawled. "I'll be sure to misplace mine."

Inmek flashed a smile before he covered it up. To Korra, he asked, "Will you attend?"

"We'll let you know. Later." Lin preempted Korra, silencing her with a hard look.

"Very well. Goodnight Avatar Korra, goodnight Chief."

"Goodnight Inmek."

As the page departed, Korra attempted to slip away. Lin twitched her fingers.

Pavestones leapt to life, encasing Korra's calves.

"Not so fast."

She felt Korra push at the stone. Lin renewed her grip.

"Let go!"

"No."

Korra swept her arm - for fire or water - and Lin caused the stone to jerk. Korra had to throw out her arms to keep from falling.

Lin warned, "I wouldn't. You don't want to fight me."

Expression surly, Korra folded her arms. She groused, "I said I was sorry. He wasn't hurt."

"And that makes it okay, does it?" demanded Lin.

Korra clamped her lips shut.

"Did it make you feel better, _Avatar _Korra? Taking your anger out on someone who couldn't hope to fight back? Picking on someone weaker than you?" Lin sneered. "Did you even realize he was a person, that he wasn't responsible for upsetting you, or were you just happy to have a convenient target?"

"Stop! I didn't - think - I just lashed - "

"Out?" Lin shook her head. "That's no excuse. The hell of it is, you don't seem to think you did anything wrong. Not before you kicked, not when you apologized, and not now."

"I get it! I screwed up! Okay? I won't do it again." Korra threw her hands in the air. "_Now_, will you let me go?"

"I will." The stone relented, flowing down Korra's legs and reshaping into flagstones. Lin marched over to Korra and seized her elbow. "You and I, and Tenzin, are going to have a long talk about what is acceptable behavior - and what is not."

As Lin towed Korra along, Korra grumbled in an undertone, "I bet you never treated Aang this way."

Lin slammed to a stop. She dropped Korra's arm, afraid she'd squeeze too hard and leave bruises.

"What did you say?"

"I said 'I bet you never treated Aang this way,'" repeated Korra.

Lin trapped Korra in her gaze, an insect impaled on a steel pin. Ice cracked as she spoke.

"Let me set one thing straight, Korra. You are not Aang. You may be the Avatar, but as far as I'm concerned, that means squat. Don't you _dare_ try to use my relationship - and my respect - for Aang for your own advantage. Don't you _dare_ think I'll just replace him with you."

Korra quailed. Lin waited a breath, snorted contemptuously, and rounded on her heel.

A subdued Korra followed, not brave enough to do otherwise and provoke Lin further.

* * *

><p>Lin spat into the sink. "She's seventeen, Tenzin, sending her to bed without dessert isn't going to work. You heard her at the end there, she still doesn't understand why we're upset, why what she did was wrong."<p>

She shoved the toothbrush into its holder. Yanking on hair ties, she unravelled her braid with her fingers.

"I'm doing a bit more than denying her dessert," Tenzin replied. He drew back the covers and slid beneath them. "She has to make a formal apology, in person, to Inmek and she'll be spending every minute she's not practicing Airbending doing chores."

"You know what I mean," retorted Lin, leaving the bathroom and climbing into bed. As she settled on her side, Tenzin shifted onto his to leave them face to face. Lin hooked her top leg around his, and drew herself closer until they touched from hip to toe. She said, "Korra's not a child, Tez. She's old enough to be set in her ways."

"We'll have to be patient, and understanding," Tenzin said. He traced her spine. "Give her time to adjust, time to grow and mature and change."

Lin scoffed. "People don't change. Children, maybe, but by the time you're Korra's age, that's it. That's who you are."

"You don't think we haven't changed since then?"

"Not in the basics, no."

Tenzin sighed and kissed the part of her hair. "I think people can change, at any age, if they commit to changing."

"Idealist," Lin murmured into his chest.

"Maybe." He cradled her head in his hands. Into her hair, he said, "I know why you think they can't. I know you have all of these experiences of people _not_ changing, repeating the same bad habits and the same crimes over and over again. I know asking you to believe is difficult because everything you know says it won't work and you'll be disappointed again."

Lin closed her eyes and pressed into him. Tenzin quieted, stroking her cheek with a thumb.

Eventually, softly, he added, "She's not cruel or malicious; she can be kind. She wants to be good, wants to do the right thing. Korra can change. Have a little faith in her, and in us being able to help her find the right path. "

_"__And there he goes - out the door and off to smile and charm and swindle more people out of their life savings," Lin snarled as the echo of the gavel faded. A clean-cut, handsome man in stylish clothes thanked the judge and started for the exit. _

_Seated on the bench beside Lin, Aang remarked, "Maybe he won't. He sounded sincere when he said he has giving up the life of crime."_

_"__Of course he did. He had to act like he's reformed or they wouldn't have paroled him."_

_"__He gave up all his stashes. Gave back as much as he still had of what he stole."_

_"__That we know of," Lin reminded Aang. "We probably haven't found a lot of his victims, here and elsewhere. I bet he has money we don't know about hidden in places we don't know to check."_

_"__You're too young to be this cynical."_

_"__You're too old to be this naive."_

_"__Why are you here again?"_

_"__Because Katara wants to know what type of dessert you want for your birthday dinner."_

_Lin accepted this explanation with a nod. She answered, "Mango and caramel pudding please."_

_"__Yum. Good choice." Aang cocked his head. "Do you need to be here any longer? It's almost lunchtime, I was thinking..."_

_"__I've a meeting a prosecutor in ten minutes, trial prep, but I wanted to see this case so I came early," Lin explained. "Sorry."_

_"__Ah. Okay." Aang stood, walked two paces, halted, and retraced his steps back to Lin. _

_She looked up at him questioningly. "Forget something?"_

_"__No, it's just...people can change," he declared. _

_Lin pursed her lips. "Aang, I know you want to believe the best -"_

_"__It's not easy and people often fail. They find it's too hard or that it requires sacrifices they aren't willing to make and they quit. But sometimes, sometimes, someone sticks with it and changes themselves for the better," Aang avowed. "If we allow for the possibility, we can help them. When the world refuses to believe you can be better than you are, it's much harder to believe it yourself."_

_"__Do that and you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. You said it yourself, people usually don't succeed," Lin countered. _

_"__But a few do. Even if only one out of a hundred succeeds, it's worth it." Aang smiled gently. "Try a little faith. I think you'll be surprised how far it goes."_

"I'll try," Lin whispered, "to have a little faith."

Tenzin murmured, "Thank you."

A silence and then…

"I miss Aang."

"So do I."


	6. Epilogue

As they dressed for the day, Tenzin said, "You were a little harsh on Korra yesterday."

Lin made no reply to him at the time, but addressed Korra at the end of breakfast, "Walk me out, Korra. Please."

Throwing an apprehensive glance at Tenzin, Korra followed Lin.

Once outside, Lin stopped and faced the girl.

She struggled with herself for a moment, Korra shifting from foot to foot. Finally, Lin admitted, "While I still hold that your behavior with Inmek was unacceptable, my reaction was perhaps a bit more than warranted. For that, and that alone, I apologize."

"Thanks?" replied Korra, bewildered but relieved.

"You're not the only one with a temper," Lin said ruefully, "and I hate bullying."

"I'll try to do better, I promise," said Korra.

"Can't ask for much more than that. Good day, Korra."

Lin had walked halfway across the courtyard when Korra called, "Wait!"

She ran to catch up with Lin. Panting, she asked, "You loved him very much, didn't you?"

"Aang?"

Korra nodded.

"Yes, I did," answered Lin. She bit her lip, then continued, "Having you here is a constant reminder that he _isn't_. It may have made my words..._sharper_ than they needed to be."

"I think I understand," Korra said slowly.

"Good. I do have to be leaving now."

"Have a good day," said Korra. Lin resumed walking. Korra returned to the dining room.


End file.
